March, 2012 | ARLnow.com

County Board Considers Regulating Metro Ads

Published March 16, 2012 at 9:30AM

Two weeks after the brouhaha over an ad in the Clarendon Metro station that told President Obama to “go to hell,” the County Board went into its closed executive session with a curious objective: to discuss “the county’s authority to regulate the content of advertising on Metro property.”

All we know about the discussion is that quote, read by County Board Chair Mary Hynes before adjourning the Board’s Tuesday afternoon meeting. The executive session is legally considered private and, reached for comment, a county spokesperson said they’ve been advised by the County Attorney to not discuss any details.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 16, 2012 at 8:35AM

St. Paddy’s Day Is Almost Here — Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, so expect some crowded bars and some intoxicated individuals along the R-B corridor. See our 2012 St. Patrick’s Day Guide for a list of some of the local watering holes that are holding special St. Paddy’s Day events.

Groundbreaking on New Courthouse Apartments — Construction is now underway on Grayson Flats, a 67-unit luxury apartment building located at 1200 N. Rolfe Street. The developer, Tysons-based Insight Property Group, say the building will be convenient to the Courthouse Metro station. Construction is expected to wrap up this fall. [Washington Business Journal]

News

Feedback Wanted on Bikeshare Expansion Plan

By Katie Pyzyk

Published March 15, 2012 at 3:55PM | Updated March 16, 2012 at 8:10AM

An online forum has been set up for gathering feedback about the plan, which will cover fiscal years 2013-2018. Four scenarios were created and posted on the BikeArlington website as a general guide for expansion. Users are asked to comment about the favorable and unfavorable aspects of each scenario. Designers expect that none of the existing scenarios will be strictly adopted, but rather that elements of each will contribute to the final proposal.

One of the goals of the plan is to project costs and adjust budgets accordingly. All transit agencies in Virginia are required to complete a transit development plan every six years.

Around Town

Library Photo Display Prompts Online Family Reunion

By Katie Pyzyk

Published March 15, 2012 at 2:45PM

Recently, the library has been digitizing historical documents and pictures that are stored in the Virginia Room at the Central Library. One of the collections was posted online just in time for Black History Month in February. The Ernest E. Johnson Collection, 1948-1955, features photos from when the Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation was still segregated and had its own “Negro Recreation Section.” Johnson directed the section and was vital in advancing the desegregation of Arlington’s community activities.

A woman who works at Long Branch Elementary saw the photos while doing research for another project, and realized many of them included her family members. That’s when she got on the phone with her cousin, Kathlyn James Avila.

Around Town

Giada De Laurentiis Holding a Local Book Signing

By Katie Pyzyk

Published March 15, 2012 at 1:30PM

She’ll be at Sur La Table (1101 S. Joyce St) in Pentagon Row on March 31 to promote her upcoming cookbook, “Weeknights with Giada.” The recipes in the book are touted as home cooked dishes that come together quickly, many in half an hour or less.

De Laurentiis will sign copies of the book starting at noon. Fans who want to attend the book signing must purchase a copy of the cookbook from Sur la Table in Pentagon Row. The purchase will grant the customer one ticket to attend the signing event.

News

Homeowners Urged to Remove Destructive Ivy from Trees

By Katie Pyzyk

Published March 15, 2012 at 11:52AM

Although the ivy is often considered decorative, it can actually strangle the life from trees. It can steal nutrients and water from trees it wraps around, and can accelerate tree rot by holding moisture close to the tree trunk. It has been known to kill trees and add enough weight to cause trees to topple during storms.

“Our trees add financial value to our properties and quality to our lives,” said Nora Palmatier, President of TreeStewards of Arlington and Alexandria in a press release. “The investment is worth it. Unfortunately, English ivy is a threat to that investment.”

Events

Program to Wax Nostalgic About Historic Businesses

By Katie Pyzyk

Published March 15, 2012 at 10:45AM

“Do You Remember?” is being billed as an interactive journey through Arlington’s commercial history. Charlie Clark, a longtime contributor to the Arlington Historical Magazine, will lead the program.

The program will look at now defunct businesses such as Herbert’s Youth Fashions and McCrory’s Five and Dime. Attendees can also share their memories of beloved businesses from decades past.

News

Crystal City Streetcar May Get Built Before Pike Streetcar

By ARLnow.com

Published March 15, 2012 at 9:50AM

Arlington and Alexandria are jointly planning a five-mile streetcar line to run from the Pentagon City Metro station, across 12th Street to Crystal Drive, down Crystal Drive to Potomac Yard, and then down Route 1 to the Braddock Road Metro Station.

The Route 1 Corridor Streetcar Conversion Project, as it’s called, is currently in the environmental assessment, alternative analysis and conceptual engineering phase. That phase of the project should wrap up around mid-2013, we’re told. Roadwork on Crystal Drive set to begin this summer, meanwhile, will quietly begin to set the stage for what will eventually be a dedicated bus transitway along Crystal Drive, an interim step before the streetcar becomes operational.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 15, 2012 at 8:50AM

‘Housing 4 Hipsters’ Attracts a Crowd — Arlington’s inaugural “Housing 4 Hipsters” event attracted a crowd of about 100 young people Monday night, though it seems unlikely that any of the attendees were actually “hipsters” in the literal sense. [Washington City Paper]

ShoeFly to Close — Clarendon shoe store ShoeFly is closing up shop after 10 years in business. The store is planning on holding a going-out-of-business sale. [Washington Business Journal]

News

Arlington Homicide-Free for Two Years, But ACPD Staffing Levels a Concern

By ARLnow.com

Published March 14, 2012 at 3:57PM

“Reaching this mark is only possible through a combination of effective policing, excellent medical care, successful prosecution and cooperating communities; all of which we have experienced in Arlington County the past two years,” police chief M. Douglas Scott said in a statement.

The county has not recorded a single homicide since March 14, 2010, when a 20-year-old man was stabbed to death in the Lyon Park neighborhood. The suspect in the case later pleaded guilty to second degree murder.

News

Crime Report: Domestic Violence Edition

By ARLnow.com

Published March 14, 2012 at 3:01PM | Updated January 9, 2018 at 3:11PM

In this week’s Arlington County crime report, two men are accused of particularly vicious instances of domestic violence. Both alleged crimes took place yesterday (Tuesday) while in public.

At 11:50 a.m. on Tuesday, a man is accused of holding down a woman and threatening her in Crystal City, before a Good Samaritan intervened.

News

County Nixes Condo Plan for Buckingham Village

By ARLnow.com

Published March 14, 2012 at 1:59PM | Updated March 14, 2012 at 2:20PM

Buckingham Village 3, a series of 16 low-rise apartment buildings along the 300 block of block of N. George Mason Drive, was purchased by the county for $34.5 million in March 2009 as part of its ongoing effort to increase the supply of committed affordable housing in Arlington.

The initial goal for the community was to renovate the buildings, lease 92 apartments to households earning below 60 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), and sell the remaining 48 units to households making 60 to 80 percent AMI. The condo component was part of a county initiative to increase home ownership among moderate income households.